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About King County's environment This page provides an introduction to the characteristics and physical features of King County including its biological environment. To find environmental services, please see Environmental services in King County, Washington. Physiography King County covers 2,131 square miles is bounded by Puget Sound to the west and the Cascade Range to the east. The region has been scoured by ice-age glaciers that carved Puget Sound, Lake Washington and Lake Sammamish and shaped our lowland hills, leaving behind patches of conglomerate till and gravelly  outwash soil. Except for rural Vashon Island in central Puget Sound, the western county is covered by cities while the development pattern becomes gradually sparser the farther east you travel, turning to suburban, then rural residential, then farms and forestlands. The eastern half of King County is mountainous, and is mostly set aside as wilderness areas, forestlands or restricted watersheds that capture and store the region's drinking water.
Across King County, residents live among trees and look up to the Cascade Mountains in the east, Mount Rainier to the south and the Olympic Mountains to the west, and over Puget Sound and the region's many lakes. Climate King County enjoys a mild Pacific maritime climate, which means its weather is heavily influenced by atmospheric conditions over the Pacific Ocean. About two-thirds of the Pacific Northwest precipitation occurs during half of the year from October through March, due to the Pacific storm track , and much of this precipitation is captured in the mountains. Precipitation declines from late spring to early fall with high pressure systems to the west, generally keeping the region fairly dry with pleasant summertime temperatures.
As the climate continues changing in King County, we expect more rain and possibly more floodng during winter, less snowpack in the mountains lasting into summer, rising sea level along the Puget Sound shoreline, and more severe droughts during summer. Animals and plants  A diverse and interconnected web of animals and plants call King County home, with marine animals having staked the claim as the region's icons including the salmon and orca whale, otter and the seahawk. Among the county's land animals, mollusks also enjoy iconic status — at least the region's slugs are well-known — and among plants, the majestic Douglas fir and western red cedar are firmly planted in the region's identity. Besides Puget Sound's rich sea life, our famous slugs and timber trees, the region's forests teem with life such as deer, bear, coyote, fox, bobcat, eagles, various owls and other birds, hundreds of native plants, lichens and myriad other living things all along the food chain.
Statistics - More than 8,000 infestations of Class A and B noxious weeds are controlled in the County each year (2011)
- In the last five years, more than 76,600 lineal feet of riparian buffer and 2,900 lineal feet of marine shoreline have been restored (2010).
Water resourcesStatistics (2010) - 760 lakes and reservoirs
- 975 wetlands
- 38.15 inches average annual participation
- 6 major river systems
- 3,000 miles of streams
- 100 miles of marine coastline
Farms and forestsStatistics (2010) - 850,000 acres of forestlands
- Number of farms: 1,800;
- Acres of farmland in production: 50,000;
- Number of farmers markets in King County: 41;
- Acres of farmland preserved through the Farmland Preservation Program: 13,200;
Enjoyment and appreciationIn King County, environmentally-precious lands, such as waterfront properties, land with water views or mountain views, and lands near parks and trails are generally worth more. Yet, King County offers hundreds of parks, trails and natural lands owned by and open to the public, for the enjoyment of everyone.
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